Review: Sibel Kutlucan
Hallelujah! Hellogoodbye have praised us with their return to the music world with the extremely dandy new release of their full length album Would It Kill You? An 11 track album that filled the void of the four years without a full length release from the Californian boys, since their release of Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! (released 2006). Would It Kill You? is truly an evolution for the band, maturing greatly from their previously dominant indie-synth and power pop sound; now embracing the indie pop rock sound that is ruling the music scene at the moment. The metamorphosis is extraordinary and definitely has done great things for the album and Hellogoodbye who have come a long way since their disco-esque electronics and syntehsised vocals on older tracks such as Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn.
Continue reading Album Review | Hellogoodbye – ‘Would it kill you?’
Category Archives: Album Review
Colin Hay – “Gathering Mercury” – Album Review
Review by: Ben Connolly
There’s a warmth to Colin Hay’s vocals which instantly resonates. There’s no confusion as to what’s to be expected when an acoustic guitar and that Scottish-via-Sydney vocal kicks in. Like others of his ilk – namely Robert Forster, Paul Kelly and to a lessor extent The Church’s Steve Kilbey – his peculiar brand of Australian-ness swells the heart and instantly proves to be a soothing salve.
Suffering from an abundance of talent by a fairly lackadaisical approach to career direction, Hay’s name seems to have dropped out of the contemporary consciousness. Save for the odd appearance on an American sitcom (he seems to be the darling of the US medical satire Scrubs) and a recent legal stoush thanks to an opportunistic claim for copyright infringement, Hay has been relatively out of the public eye since the 1985 implosion of Men at Work.
Continue reading Colin Hay – “Gathering Mercury” – Album Review
Marianne Faithfull – “Horses and High Heels” – Album Review
Review: Victoria Nugent
I was a little disappointed when I discovered Marianne Faithfull’s latest album Horses and High Heels consisted mainly of covers. The folk singer better known as a former lover of Mick Jagger during the heyday of the Rolling Stones has over thirty years of singing experience, and I was rather hoping to hear a full body of original songs rather than the mere four present on her 23rd solo album.
Nevertheless Faithfull has gathered a stellar group of supporting artists such as Lou Reed and Dr John to flesh out the album, turning her hand to songs from across a wide range of genres and styles. Produced again by Hal Willner and recorded in the New Orleans French Quarter, the album makes use of New Orleans musicians in the band.
Continue reading Marianne Faithfull – “Horses and High Heels” – Album Review
CD Review | Pushking – “The World As We Love It”
Review: Sibel Kutlucan
Pushking’s new album, “The World As We Love It” certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted! The album packs a punch with 19 tracks selected from an extensive back catalogue, and featuring a smorgasbord of rock legends, from Paul Stanley, Alice Cooper and Steve Vai (just to name a few!) For these amazing names alone The World As We Love It is worth a listen, however, Pushking definitely hold their own ground and prove their recognition as amazing European power-metal rockers that can’t help but throw you back in time to huge hair, and shiny leather pants.
Continue reading CD Review | Pushking – “The World As We Love It”
Album Review | Heroes For Hire – ‘Take One For The Team’
Review: Sibel Kutlucan
Take One For The Team, the second full-length album from Sydney pop punk act Heroes For Hire definitely has a strong pop punk sound that plants them on the same page of any well known Fueled by Ramen band.
When I first heard the intro of track 1, “No Milk Will Ever Be Our Milk”, I was flooded with memories of being 14 and bouncing around to Simple Plan and Fall Out Boy in my bedroom. For those who don’t favour the whiny vocals and energetic drumming and guitar riffs reminiscent of bands like Blink 182 and Sum 41, then this definitely isn’t an album for you.
Continue reading Album Review | Heroes For Hire – ‘Take One For The Team’
Duff McKagan’s Loaded – “The Taking” – Album Review
Review by: Ben Connolly
Musical legacies are fickle beasts. For the privileged few, early bravado can lead to a lifetime of open doors and opportunities; for most, thorough, their own massive shoes are rarely filled again, leaving a life of painfully striving either to attain the same heights, or failing to convince the world that there’s more to give. For those at the pinnacle, the ones whose exploits drew a definite line with which others would measure themselves, this is arguably even more acute: audiences are liable to bay for more brilliance, and are vocally deflated when their lofty expectations are not met (take, for example, the expectation of larger-than-myth Bob Dylan, whose audience is rudimentary brought down to earth every time his never-ending tour juggernaut rolls through town).
Continue reading Duff McKagan’s Loaded – “The Taking” – Album Review
My Own Pet Radio – Unidentified Flying Collection of Songs [Album Review]
Review by: Lauren Sherritt
Unidentified Flying Collection of Songs is the first album released by My Own Pet Radio, the name under which Brisbane artist Sam Cromack works solo. The bedroom recorded, experimental album is a solid example of decent, hard worked music created by a passionate and hard working musician.
Cromack, also known as the front man for indie rock/pop band Ball Park Music, really goes to town on the album cutting samples, employing effects and layering instruments, all played by himself, with intricate and distinct lyrics. The songs collectively move through various styles, bluesy influences sitting alongside poppy rock and folksy, lilting acoustic pieces. Carefully crafted to fit together as a whole album, the spectrum of styles in the songs speaks of the years of work gone into developing Cromack’s skill, and the album transcends the hyped world of sale figures and radio play stats to sit as a thought provoking piece of artwork.
Continue reading My Own Pet Radio – Unidentified Flying Collection of Songs [Album Review]
Interpol “Interpol” – Album Review
Review: Kenada Quinlan
  – Interpol – Interpol
|
Established in 1997 and with only 4 albums under their belt to date, Interpol have decided to go it alone for the self-released and self-titled 2010 offering. Kick starting with ‘Success’, the New York based quartet delightfully introduce their brand of Indie that over the years has refused to shift in any fashionable sense.
The next step of ‘Memory Serves’ is an atmospheric, thumping masterpiece that captures loneliness and loss with beauty and an infectious groove. The vocal line “You don’t have say that you’d love to – but baby please that you want to – some day…” resonating far passed the song’s inception. |
The off-kilter latter beats of this composition making way for ‘Summer Well’ – a more spritely drum and piano medley. Breaking into an uplifting yet damning verse of harmonies, vocalist Paul Banks inviting drones raise precisely on time for a hop, skip and jump to graceful emotional ruin.
Continue reading Interpol “Interpol” – Album Review
Album Review : Anathema – “We’re Here Because We’re Here”
Review: Ben Hosking
Listening to UK band Anathema these days, it’s hard to believe that they once toured alongside groups such as Paradise Lost, Cathedral and Cannibal Corpse. Formed in 1990 under the moniker of Pagan Angel, the group signed to Peaceville Records – the same group that was home to other legendary doom metal bands of the time.
Continue reading Album Review : Anathema – “We’re Here Because We’re Here”
The Black Keys – “Brothers” [CD Review]
Review: Natalie Salvo
This is a record review about The Black Keys. But you already knew that didn’t you? So while we’re giving you ‘helpful’ but unnecessary statements, “Brothers” is the sixth studio album from the Ohio-based blues-rock duo.
The pair has been rather busy as of late with guitarist, Dan Auerbach dropping a solo album while Patrick Carney produced the aptly titled side project, Drummer. The boys then collaborated with a bunch of rappers for the hip-hop record, Blakroc.
Continue reading The Black Keys – “Brothers” [CD Review]
CD Review: An Horse – Rearrange Beds
Review: Lauren Sherritt
Rearrange Beds recalls in lurid, dreamlike detail memories of adolescent youth; of mistimed love, desperation and a need for just a little bit of control, and as the debut album for Australian two piece An Horse it acts as a solid showcase of the band’s notable talents. It’s honest, edgy and just a little bit off centre and will speak to anybody who remembers that baffling and awkward experience that is emerging into adulthood.
Continue reading CD Review: An Horse – Rearrange Beds